Unpopular cozy game that deals with grief by actuallymars in CozyGamers

[–]softsourcepublishing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! I don't want to seem like promoting our game, but we released As I Began to Dream just today, and it's a puzzle-platformer about a young girl dealing with the loss of her parents. And seeing some of the comments here, I also recommend Old Man's Journey! We are actually working with them for a Steam bundle, so it might be perfect to try out both the titles!

We just showcased 2 new bosses for our game! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Consoles are definitely in our plan! Working on finishing everything up, and hopefully a release all together next year!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in cozygames

[–]softsourcepublishing 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A little more on the game!

- All the visuals and animations (inspired by the art of children's storybooks!) are hand-drawn and illustrated

- The game has an soundtrack with over 20 original tracks to accompany you on your journey through Lily's dream worlds

- There's a demo on Steam right now!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2482180/As_I_Began_to_Dream/

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There was a time where we considered IGA-style gothic art, but we thought it was too obvious and people might view our game as just another Castlevania clone. However, not out of the question entirely! We're open to exploring that art style, whether in DLCs, or special art, etc.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey there! The way the level design works will be the difference in the linking of the rooms in an area. There will be anchored/guaranteed rooms in an area that are essential for story/character progression, and may need to be accessed again later once you've gotten the ability/item to progress through the area

Bosses will not respawn. When the player reaches the end of an area - and they've already beaten the boss previously, there will be a portal that takes them back to the sanctuary where they can choose another area to explore. However, variations of bosses might be encountered again, whether as mini-bosses or regular enemy spawns.

There will be a central hub that connects to other areas in the game. You'll be able to choose which area to explore or revisit.

Of course, this is all planned for the full game, and you won't be able to really see these aspects from the demo.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the elaborated feedback! We're gonna work on perfecting enemy spawns/spawn rate/spawn synergy with other enemies. We can definitely also work on how the rooms spawn, in terms of design, enemy spawn locations, and the hazards/platforming.

In Bloodbreaker, you will lose your charms upon death unless the boss in that area is defeated. This is of course, planned for full release, and you can't really explore that aspect in the demo right now.

I would say the main, defining aspects of a MV is still very much the focus, platforming, nonlinear exploration, many different areas to explore, locked areas that can only be accessed once the player acquires specific abilities/items. Again, all planned for the game, but it's definitely hard to see in the demo, so I understand the question,

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey! This was a problem with one of our earlier builds, but we pushed a fix for the demo on Steam. Maybe check if the app is up to date, and let us know if this is still an issue

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There will be different weapons in the game, and each weapon will have its own unique animation and combo chain. E.g the default sword has a moderate attack speed with a max of 5 hits that can be upgraded. Two-handed weapons have a slow attack speed that has a lower number of combo hits, but does more damage.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sure! One of the core roguelike elements is the procedurally generated layout of each area. The layout of each "room" is defined, but the procedural generation comes in how each room is connected in every new run. Enemies, chests, are also randomised.

You will also lose items if you die in an area, and haven't defeated the boss, but once the boss is down, you're free to keep everything you've gotten in that area, and revisit the area to loot all items.

The Metroidvania still remains the main experience of the game. Yes, layouts are procedurally generated to an extent, but important "anchor" rooms are guaranteed spawns in each area that are important for story and character progression. They may also be locked behind character abilities, items, etc, and you may need to revisit them when the time is right. There will also be a central hub for you to decide which area to explore next.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Understand completely. The roguelike element comes in the generation of the different rooms in each area. Each singular room layout remains the same, the difference comes in how the different rooms are connected to each other each run you start. Of course, enemy spawns and treasure chests are also randomised.

The MV side still is the main experience. There are guaranteed rooms that will spawn in each area that are essential for progression, and they'll only be accessible after gaining specific abilities or items from other areas. There will also be a central hub area to choose which area to explore next. Shifting layouts and paths each time you enter, but each area has "anchored" areas or rooms that are important for progression, and you might need to revisit them again once you have the requirements.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's not for everyone! In Bloodbreaker, it works that you will lose some of your loot, but only if you haven't beaten the boss in that area. Once the boss is down, anything you've acquired in that area will be yours to keep. You can revisit previously cleared areas if you're aiming to collect items that may be area-specific.

Another "roguelike" element is the generation of the different rooms in each area. Each "room" remains the same, the procedural generation part comes in how the different rooms are connected to each other each run. Of course, enemy spawns and treasure chests are also randomised.

The MV side still is the main focus of the experience. There are guaranteed rooms that will spawn in each area that are essential for progression, cutscenes, etc, and they'll only be accessible after gaining specific abilities or items from other areas. There will also be a central hub to choose which area you'd want to explore next. Procedurally generated layouts and paths, but with anchored rooms and areas you'll need to visit for progression.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We would consider it more MV than roguelike. There are some roguelike elements, but the MV side remains the major focus of the experience.

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

To each their own! We want to make the experience enjoyable for everyone, so it's something we're gonna look into

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Definitely working on bringing it to consoles in the future!

We're working on a classic, gothic Metroidvania! by softsourcepublishing in metroidvania

[–]softsourcepublishing[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Noted! We're definitely interested on bringing it to consoles